A Casebook on the Roman Law of Delict

This text offers a wide range of juristic excerpts from several periods covering apparently all of the major aspects of delicts falling under Aquilian liability as well as Furtum, Iniuria, Dolus, Metus, and quasi-delict. The notes are thought-provoking and make useful crosslinks to other legal cases. The presentation is effective as well, with a logical progression from a statement of the rule through several particulars and qualifications. The book is perhaps too dense to be useful for a complete beginner not grounded by a good textbook on Roman law or previous education in the subject, but just superb for the classroom and reference.

Frier's work is an excellent inroduction to the Roman legal system and, in turn, to legal reasoning in today's world. Although this book is probably best utilized in a "case method" classroom setting (I was fortunate enough to take Bruce Frier's Roman Law class here at the University of Michigan), the discussion questions at the end of each case are excellent tools to help one reason each situation for himself. If you have any interest in why lawyers think in the method that they do, then this is an excellent way to introduce yourself to that line of thought.